ROUTE DISPLAY DEVICE, ROUTE DISPLAY METHOD, ROUTE DISPLAY PROGRAM, AND ROUTE DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20110246061A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: HAYASHI, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects

Abstract

A route display apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes a search unit that searches for a plurality of routes in which a plurality of destinations are stopped by in a different stopping order combination in each route. The apparatus also includes a prediction unit that predicts, for each of the routes, a travelable position that can be reached with a remaining amount of a battery. The prediction unit is configured to predict, for each of the routes, a necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on a side of a departure point in relation to a final destination. The apparatus also includes a display control unit that displays, for each of the routes, the necessity of charging in association with a corresponding stopping order for each of the routes, on a display part.

Claims

1. A route display device that displays a route of a vehicle, comprising:

a search unit that searches for a plurality of routes in which a plurality of destinations are stopped by in a different stopping order combination in each route;

a prediction unit that predicts, for each of the routes, a travelable position which can be reached with a remaining amount of a battery and predicts, for each of the routes, a necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on a side of a departure point in relation to a final destination; and

a display control unit that displays, for each of the routes, the necessity of charging in association with a corresponding stopping order for each of the routes, on a display part.

2. The route display device according to claim 1,

wherein, among the plurality of routes, for a route in which a charging facility is included in the destination within a travel area which can be reached with the remaining amount, the prediction unit is configured to:

predict that the remaining amount at the charging facility will be a designated charging amount that is the remaining amount after charging at the charging facility, and the travelable position on the route which can be reached from the charging facility with the designated charging amount; and

further predict the necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on the side of the departure point in relation to the final destination.

3. The route display device according to claim 1, wherein

the display control unit arranges and displays the plurality of destinations and the travelable position in a travel order for each of the routes.

4. The route display device according to claim 1,

wherein the prediction unit is configured to:

for each of the plurality of routes, calculate a travel time for traveling the route as a required time of the route; and

among the plurality of routes, for a route in which a charging facility is included in the destination within a travel area which can be reached with the remaining amount, calculate the required time of the route by adding a charging time at the charging facility to the travel time of the route, and

wherein the display control unit displays the required time for each of the routes.

5. The route display device according to claim 1,

wherein the prediction unit is configured to:

for each of the plurality of routes, calculate a road fee required to travel the route as a travel fee of the route; and

among the plurality of routes, for a route in which a charging facility is included in the destination within a travel area which can be reached with the remaining amount, calculate the travel fee of the route by adding a charging fee at the charging facility to the road fee of the route, and

wherein the display control unit displays the travel fee for each of the routes.

6. The route display device according to claim 1,

wherein, if a new destination is added to a previously-set route,

the search unit is configured to search for a route stopping by the new destination on the side of the departure point in relation to a destination included in the previously-set route and a route stopping by the new destination on the side of the final destination in relation to the destination included in the previously-set route.

7. A route display method for displaying a route of a vehicle, the method comprising:

searching for a plurality of routes in which a plurality of destinations are stopped by in a different stopping order combination in each route;

predicting, for each of the routes, a travelable position which can be reached with a remaining amount of a battery and predicting, for each of the routes, a necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on a side of a departure point in relation to a final destination; and

displaying, for each of the routes, the necessity of charging in association with a corresponding stopping order for each of the routes.

8. A program comprising program code which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the steps of method claim 7.

9. A route display system including a plurality of devices capable of mutually transmitting and receiving information that displays a route of a vehicle, the route display system comprising:

a search unit that searches for a plurality of routes in which a plurality of destinations are stopped by in different stopping order combination in each route;

a prediction unit that predicts, for each of the routes, a travelable position which can be reached with a remaining amount of a battery and predicts, for each of the routes, a necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on a side of a departure point in relation to a final destination; and

a display control unit that displays, for each of the routes, the necessity of charging in association with a corresponding stopping order for each of the routes on a display part.